I can't help to see similarities between this article and the recent phenomena of competitive battle royale games. Currently, Fortnite is in the midst of perhap

I can't help to see similarities between this article and the recent phenomena of competitive battle royale games. Currently, Fortnite is in the midst of perhaps the largest open-entry tournaments in history[1], and seems to be establishing these sorts of norms very quickly. Although "teaming" (direct collusion, such as the event featured in this article) is explicitly prohibited with serious consequences, most players implicitly acknowledge that the competition isn't truly "winner takes all," at least at the individual match level, since there are incentives for placing in the top 5, top 25, etc. As someone who does not play Fortnite but is interested in the social aspects of the game, one term I noticed being thrown around a lot in the competitive subreddit was "w-keying" and its impact on the competitive aspects of the game. "W-key" is a reference to the "W" on a QWERTY keyboard, or "forward" based on WASD movement, and refers to (overly-)aggressive players in Fortnite's competitive scene[2]. This term is derogatory; being called a "W-Keyer" implies a lack of tactical awareness and immaturity as well as a degree of unsportsmanlike behavior. At first I thought this was sort of weird. "Aggression" in competitive games generally refers to a tactics-level decision, and is thus is generally accepted as part of the game, keeps other tactics in check and makes a better spectator sport by encouraging proactivity. Think zerg-rushing in Starcraft, Mono-red Aggro in Magic The Gathering or Serve-and-Volley in tennis. But most competitive games are zero-sum at the match level (one wins, one loses, or both tie), whereas Fortnite is not. In Fortnite's competitive mode, certain types of aggression is akin to "defecting" in the Prisoner's Dilemma, reducing the overall likelihood of both parties placing (due to one party being eliminated, both parties using up a significant amount of resources, and a reasonable likelihood that a third party swoops in). I'm not going to go any deeper into the game theory aspects since I would quickly go beyond my comfort area. However, that it's essential that such phenomena are explored more deeply. E-Sports figures are the newest celebrity class, and "people famous for playing video games" has gone from a Wikipedia stub to an ecosystem that mirrors "traditional" star athlete culture. If W-Keying becomes an unwritten taboo, how will punishment for breaking this taboo be meted out? Will those who play the game The Right Way seek to ostracize these players or seek retribution inside/outside the game? Will exceptions be made for star players or would said players face even more scrutiny? What degree of governorship do the companies that put on these competitions have over this type of behavior? [1]https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/22/18235132/fortnite-world-cup-final-date-prize-money-new-york-esports https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/22/18235132/fortnite-world-c... [2] I am not 100% sure if this term is specific to Fortnite, Battle Royale-style games or WASD-controlled games in general, I've just only encountered it in this context.